Yola Jimenez’s Michelin-starred sobremesa

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Sobremesa is the Spanish word for relaxing around the table after a meal. For Yola Jimenez, it’s a tradition that’s intrinsic to life in Mexico City. “We make lunches go on forever,” says the co-founder of Oaxaca-based spirits brand Yola Mezcal. “It’s a very Friday thing to do.” Her favourite sobremesa spot is Contramar, a popular seafood restaurant, but today’s lunch is held at home in the tree-lined neighbourhood of Roma.

“I don’t really cook but I love to host,” says Jimenez, who has put lunch in the hands of Elena Reygadas, the owner of Michelin-starred Restaurante Rosetta, who was last year named the world’s best female chef. The women take a similar approach to their remits: for Jimenez, Yola Mezcal was a chance to keep mezcal production alive in its native Oaxaca; Reygadas works to preserve the traditions of Mexico’s cuisine. The chef turns up at 12pm with five types of bread from Rosetta’s in-house bakery and an enormous bag of local mushrooms, chief among them the orange-capped Caesar’s variety.

The rest of the lunch party arrives two hours later: a mix of the city’s art and design community. “Alex [Gutierrez] does furniture. Brian [Thoreen] is a designer; Tess [Lochanski], his wife, is in fashion in Paris – they move back and forth.” Actress Lorenza Izzo is visiting from LA with her chihuahua, Jack, to shoot a new series for HBO. Jack is a friend for Guajillo, Jimenez’s pug.

People start inviting other people. I try not to be precious

Nuts and olives are served on Jimenez’s terrace before the group sits down for pickled mushrooms and chile de árbol, mushroom carpaccio with peaches, parmesan and chestnuts, and jerusalem artichoke tamales in a wild mushroom broth. Tamales are a mainstay at this time of year, when Mexico celebrates both Día de los Muertos and Las Posadas, a nine-day religious festival. Also essential are mezcal Margaritas, which Jimenez, who wears a brown Saint Laurent dress, serves ice-cold after a furious shake. Her number-one tip is to hold back on the sugar, and to substitute Cointreau with a tot of agave syrup. “Too much sugar is bad for a hangover,” says Jimenez.

An outburst of evening rain helps prolong the sobremesa. As does a fresh batch of Margaritas, this time with Yola Mezcal’s Pechuga edition, a premium mezcal reserved for celebrations. “In Mexico, it’s important not to have time constraints,” says Jimenez. “People start inviting other people. People feel at home. I try not to be precious about anything.”